Monday, February 25, 2019

The New Global Capitalist

It is neither a coincidence nor a flash in the pan that the Twitter CEO refuses to present himself to the parliamentary committee of India.


Bear with me while I present a little history.
Circa: 1800 or thereabouts


The British Resident, in every Indian state, was subservient to the Indian king. His job was to "advise" the king in matters of military strategy and to ensure deployment of the British troops whenever the king wanted.


In time, as the dependence of the kings on the British armies increased, the power of the Resident grew. To the extent where, the military strategy was being decided by the Resident, not by the king or his senapati. With this military dependence came the loss of sovereignty. The kings realised, one by one, slowly and painfully, that though they were called "Kings", they were nothing more than vassals of the company.


Slowly, the company's rules became binding upon the kings of India - not through a de jure authority, but a de facto one. The Company ruled India.


It was against this backdrop that the Mutiny of 1857 was planned. It was a revolt against a government that was not a government.
******
End of history. Cut to present.


A few days ago, I had asked, why is all this data actually being collected by the IT behemoths? I now get it. This is the creation of a government that is not a government.


By not appearing in front of the parliamentary committee, the Twitter CEO is doing exactly what the British Resident did in the 1800s. Twitter is saying:


A. Your house is fragmented. No way that they will all follow you as a unified group.
B. I have control over what your people see, what they think, and what they will do. In effect, I can make them do as I please, and therefore, I am the one who rules them.
C. I am not answerable to you, or to anyone.
D. You cannot touch me, and in fact, you should be scared of me. Because I can undermine your own sovereign position within your country, by using simple mind control and digital mob management.

I have just realised the point of it all. And it is devastating.


It does not matter whether I am dependent on Twitter or not. One person not being dependent on Facebook or Twitter or Google is one Indian minister warning his king against the British. The entire ecosystem was moving in that direction. Everyone needed to be stopped. If the other kings were using British cannons, and winning because the British would not supply cannons or know-how to the Indian armies, then every king would have to do it.


If one politician used Facebook advertising to sway votes, and the rival politician was left with no recourse, then everyone who wanted to win elections would HAVE to do it. Guess who are the earliest adopters of this unethical mind management? The most unethical people. These are the few that created the Tipping Point, after which, the Sun never set on the British empire for 300 years.


Colonisation of the world was not a coincidence. It was based on very precise and very accurate understanding of human nature.


And we are not just in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We are also in the second colonisation.


Think. About. That.

Friday, February 22, 2019

I don't miss you on a daily basis, papa. Not in the big things.


I miss you in the small things.


Like "Dad" beeping on someone else's phone for a call. Like a birthday card signed "Mom and dad"


In these small things.

Thursday, February 14, 2019

25 saal vaali photo

हमने एक साथ 
घर घर खेला 
पैसे कमाए, खर्चे।
बच्चे भी बनाये 
दुनिया में भेजे।
तो बताओ,
२५ साल वाली फोटो में
तुम्हारा चेहरा उकताया ,
और मेरा 
कांतिहीन 
क्यों है?


***************
We did it all together -
Played house.
Earned , Spent.
Raised children,
and sent them into the world.
So tell me, darling,
In the 25th anniversary picture
why are your eyes
bored
and mine
blank?
**************

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Verbs/ Kriya

To Be,
is a verb.
To not be
is also a verb.
They are both
acts of will.

**************
होना, क्रिया है 
न होना भी, 
क्रिया है 
दोनों 
स्वत: नहीं होते 
निरंतर क्रिया से 
करने पड़ते हैं. 

अपने आप में 
सम्पूर्ण है 
होना। 
****************



Kriya - 2

पेङ जानता है,
 कि वह क्या कर रहा है।
घास भी जानती है,
कि वह क्या कर रही है।
तो फिर,
व्याकरण के रचयिता,
सर्वाधिक विवेकशील प्रजाति,
क्यों नहीं जानते,
कि
अस्मि, असि, अस्ति
संपूर्ण क्रियायें हैं?

होना,
सम्पूर्णता है. 
न होना भी 
शाश्वत, अटूट यथार्थ। 
**************
This version after Islaah from Arvind Joshi:
पेङ जानता है,
 कि वह क्या कर रहा है।
घास भी जानती है,
कि वह क्या कर रही है।
तो फिर,
व्याकरण के रचयिता,
सर्वाधिक विवेकशील प्रजाति,
क्यों नहीं जानते,
कि
अस्मि, असि, अस्ति
संपूर्ण क्रियायें हैं?



होना,
काफी है.




Friday, February 08, 2019

Katranein

इतने दिन बाद मिले, और ये भी नहीं पूछा, कि मैं कैसी हूँ?

तुमने चूड़ियां बेतरतीब पहनी हैं न? 

हाँ

पता चल गया तुम कैसी हो. 

Tuesday, February 05, 2019

Note to S :)


You should not try to lie. When you try to lie, the light bulb in your eyes goes off. Then we know that your heart is not in what you are saying. People like you, who don't need a lie detector - you should not lie. Your eyes talk too much.

On Virgos :)

"We are not easy people to live with." she said, indicating her sun sign.


"No. You are. Either you care a lot, or not at all. And you care."


"But we never show it. Either we care a lot. Or not at all. Either way, we never show it."